St. Anthony's Tongue

In this episode of Mass Prep for the Mystic Heart , we reflect on John 10:1–10 and the image of Jesus as the Good Shepherd. What does it mean to recognize His voice? How do we know we are truly being led by Christ and not by noise, fear, or confusion? Jesus tells us that His sheep hear His voice, that He calls them by name, and that He came so that we might have life in abundance. This Gospel invi...

In this episode, I explore why Catholicism might need something unexpected—a punk rock movement. Not rebellion. Not anarchy. But a return to something real. We’re living in a time where the faith can feel overly polished, commercialized, and repetitive. Catholic content is everywhere, podcasts, reels, conferences, products, but somewhere along the way, something deeper can get lost. The fire. The...

In this Mass Prep for Luke 24:13–35, we walk the Road to Emmaus and ask a powerful question: why didn’t the disciples recognize Jesus? From Mary Magdalene hearing her name to the breaking of the bread, this Gospel reveals where we actually encounter Christ today—in personal prayer, in the Eucharist, and even in the quiet moments where our hearts begin to burn. If God feels distant or hidden, this...

Support My Work via Patreon at www.patreon.com/anthonystongue In this episode, we explore the side wound of Jesus Christ—one of the most overlooked but deeply meaningful wounds in Scripture and Catholic tradition. From John 19 to the mystics, the side wound reveals the open heart of God, the birth of the Church, and the place where we encounter Christ in our own wounds. What does it mean to “enter...

In this Mass Prep for the Second Sunday of Easter, we reflect on John 20:19-31 and the story of Doubting Thomas. Jesus meets His disciples in their fear, shows them His wounds, and invites Thomas to come close and believe. This Gospel reminds us that God is not afraid of our doubt. He meets us in it. The wounds of Christ are not erased in the Resurrection but revealed as places of encounter, mercy...

What did Jesus say at the end? In this reflection, we walk slowly through the 7 Last Words of Jesus on the Cross—not as distant sayings, but as words spoken in love. These are not just final statements. They are words of forgiveness, closeness, longing, surrender. For the tired. For the searching. For the mystic heart.

In this episode we walk through the Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary as a path of the spiritual life. From resurrection and new life, to being set free, filled with the Holy Spirit, transformed by grace, and sharing in God’s life — these mysteries show what it means to become fully alive in God. With reflections inspired by St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and St. Seraphim of Sarov.

In this Palm Sunday Mass Prep, we reflect on the mysticism of Matthew 21 and the triumphal entry of Christ into Jerusalem. Why do we welcome Jesus… and still struggle to recognize Him? Why does God come gently when we expect power? And what does it mean to lay something down before we understand where He is leading us? This reflection is an invitation to enter Holy Week not with performance, but w...

I’ve always struggled a bit with the Luminous Mysteries, so this episode is more me working through them with you than teaching at you. We walk through how these mysteries form the soul — from being claimed by God, to learning trust, to living it out, to glimpses of glory, and finally union in the Eucharist. With insights from St. Francis de Sales and St. Faustina Kowalska.

In this episode we enter the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Rosary through a mystical and psychological lens. The Passion of Christ is not only something that happened to Jesus — it also mirrors the transformation journey of the soul. We reflect on stages like dryness in prayer, purification, humiliation, perseverance, and total self-gift, with wisdom from St. Teresa of Ávila and St. Catherine of Sien...

In this episode we explore how to truly meditate on the Rosary through the lens of the Catholic mystics. Particularly, St. John of the Cross and St. Therese of Lisieux. The Joyful Mysteries are not just peaceful scenes — they reveal trust, perseverance, and small acts of faith that lead from darkness into joy. Please join my Patreon and Substack to get notified when the written portion of these ar...

In John 11, Jesus raises Lazarus from the dead — but Lazarus comes out of the tomb still wrapped in burial cloths. Still alive… but not yet free. In this Mass Prep reflection, we explore the mysticism of Lazarus, divine delay, spiritual resurrection, and the slow process of being “unbound” after grace touches our lives.

What does it mean to “keep watch” with Christ? In the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus asks His closest friends a question that still reaches into our lives today: “Could you not watch with me one hour?” Many Christians today are not losing faith, rather, they are losing rest. Exhausted by performance, overwhelmed by noise, and unsure how to simply remain present with God. In this episode, we explore w...

In this Mass Prep for the Mystic Heart reflection, we explore the powerful symbolism of John 9, where Jesus heals the man born blind using mud from the earth. What does this strange moment reveal about creation, healing, and spiritual sight? This short mystical reflection looks at how Christ remakes us from the dust, how true vision grows in faith, and why the greatest blindness may be thinking we...

Angels appear throughout Christ’s journey in Lent: ministering in the desert, strengthening Him in the garden, and announcing the resurrection at the tomb. What do these mysterious encounters teach us about our own spiritual life during Lent? Let's discuss!

In this episode of St. Anthony’s Tongue we explore three spiritual faces of the Virgin Mary: Mother, Mystic, and Bride. Mary is often spoken about with titles like Queen of Heaven or Mother of God, but the Gospel reveals something deeper. Mary shows us the entire path of the Christian life. First we receive Christ like a mother. Then we carry Him within us like a mystic. And finally we remain fait...

In this episode I respond to a criticism I’ve received lately: that my reflections on Catholic mysticism are starting to sound like “social justice.” But this raises an important question. What if the two were never separate to begin with? In the Catholic tradition, mysticism is not just visions, ecstasies, or extraordinary experiences. The true mark of union with God is transformation. When the s...

In this episode of Mass Prep for the Mystic Heart, we reflect on the Gospel of John 4:5–42, the powerful encounter between Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well. In Scripture, wells are often places where love stories begin. Isaac’s servant meets Rebekah at a well. Jacob meets Rachel at a well. Moses meets Zipporah at a well. When Jesus stops at Jacob’s well and asks a Samaritan woman for a dr...

The Creed says that Christ descended into hell. In 1942, hell had barbed wire. This episode tells the story of St. Titus Brandsma , Carmelite priest, journalist, mystic, and martyr, who was imprisoned in Dachau for refusing to cooperate with Nazi propaganda. In the middle of a death camp, he smuggled the Eucharist, heard confessions, consoled the dying, and showed radical kindness to the very guar...

This Sunday’s Gospel (Matthew 17:1–9) gives us the Transfiguration, one of the most mysterious and beautiful moments in the life of Christ. But this passage is not only about proving that Jesus is God. It reveals what humanity looks like when it is fully united to God. In this episode, we explore theosis, sanctification, the imago Dei, and what it means to be transformed “from glory to glory” (2 C...

In this first episode of our Lenten series, we look at Mary Magdalene through the lens of the Song of Songs. The Bride in the Song rises at night and searches for the one her soul loves. Mary Magdalene walks toward the tomb while it is still dark. The Church has long seen the connection. The poetry of longing becomes a body in a garden. This episode is about the holy ache, the kind of love that re...

What happens when the devil quotes Scripture? On the First Sunday of Lent, we enter the wilderness with Christ in Matthew 4:1–11. This Gospel is not only about resisting temptation. It is about identity. It is about discernment. It is about how evil often disguises itself in holy language. The Spirit leads Jesus into the desert. Not for performance. Not for self improvement. For formation. In the...

This one is different. On the eve of Ash Wednesday, I wanted to offer something slower. More embodied. More strange. We talk about ashes every year. We post the crosses. We quote “Remember you are dust.”But what if we’ve forgotten what dirt actually means? Tonight we descend. From the dirt of Genesisto the dirt of Bethlehemto the dirt beneath Christ’s fingernailsto the dirt of the tombto the ash p...

Every year, Catholics prepare for Lent by adding more: more devotions, more fasting plans, more spiritual intensity. But Scripture suggests something deeper. In this episode, we explore five key biblical passages that reveal the true posture of the desert. Lent is not about religious performance or self-improvement. It is about interior conversion, surrender, and allowing God to strip away what ke...

Lent Devotional Guide: https://www.stanthonystongue.com/products/p/pdf-a-lenten-devotional-guide Lent is not a performance review. It is not a spiritual productivity challenge. It is the Church leading exhausted people back into the desert, not to crush them, but to strip away the false god of competence and return them to love. In this video, I offer a Lenten guide inspired by the Catholic mystic...